MOSCOW, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- Russia's new Bulava submarine-launched intercontinental ballistic missile failed in its latest test, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Thursday.

    The missile was test-fired from the strategic nuclear-powered submarine Dmitry Donskoi in the White Sea off Russia's northwest coast early Wednesday, the defense ministry said in a statement.

    "But there was a technical malfunction at the third stage," it said, adding that a state commission is probing into the cause of the failed test.

    Seven of the 12 test launches of the Bulava have been unsuccessful, the Interfax news agency reported.

    In the previous failure on July 15, a Bulava missile self-destructed due to a malfunction during the first stage of its flight from the White Sea.

    The Bulava, which is capable of carrying up to 10 individually targeted nuclear warheads and has a maximum range of 8,000 km, is expected to become a key part of the Russian military's future nuclear arsenal.